Lowtown Shady
by From Thessia To Rannoch
Summary: Orphan siblings Addie and Colton Quinney struggle to scrape together a living following their mother's death. They turn to a clandestine group of thieves in Lowtown for work in the employ of an enigma named Shady. Colton and Addie meet Elnora, a city elf with a severe demeanor, who has been working in the shadows much longer than them. The three teens must learn to survive together
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter I: In A Small Shack In Lowtown**

Colton and Addie Quinney stood with their backs pressed against the chipping walls of their dreary Lowtown abode. It was more of a room, really, with one extra jutting of wall concealing the corner where the chamber pots stewed. Their family friend, a man with a small waist and shoulders that sloped like the Vimmark Mountains, was the only one allowed to move close to the center of the room where their mother's straw mat was, on top of which she was writhing. Colton and Addie could see the gleam of sweat wrapped around her neck. Her skin was always pale, but it had frosted to the point of near translucence. She had turned into a stiff alabaster statue, only mobile enough to shake and moan occasionally.

The family friend was shaking, too, as he knelt on one knee by the bed. His quivering hand took a damp cloth and set it so gently over the mother's forehead he gave the impression of fear. Colton and Addie were only half-grown, but they had witnessed enough by their young age to know that if this man was afraid, they should be too. Addie felt tears prick his eyes for the first time that day. It wasn't Colton's first. "Rynell, is she gonna be okay?" Colton stammered. He already knew the answer. Rynell didn't respond. The mother gave a prolonged, wraith-like groan and sank onto her side. Colton rushed forward, and Addie followed. The two of them stopped abruptly at their mother's bedside and got on their knees. Gingerly, they let their hands wander onto the very edge of the straw matress. Addie's fingers dug into the tattered blanket. Their mother's eyes were shut but her head kept rolling back and forth on her pillow as if she were watching a fly pester the air.

Addie said, "Mother." There was no change in the dying woman's movements. "Mother, mother, mother," she chanted steadily. She repeated that word over and over again until finally the sick woman's inane movements faded away and her eyes peeled open. The milky film of death had started to settle over her eyes, and Addie knew there wasn't much time left. The tears dribbled down her cheek, and her mother was finally aware enough to see them. Colton was choking on his own sobs. Their mother's hand slid out from under the blanket slowly. She held it open, palm-up, inviting her children to hold her hand. They did. Their two hands together were slightly too big to both fit in that one palm. Their mother settled her eyesight on her children with a certain poignant amazement; it was as if she had seen them as newborns again. The memory eased her mouth into a smile and Addie noticed her mother's gentle chin and the bubbly curvature of her cheeks.

"Do not be afraid," their mother breathed. At this point, Colton was crying loudly, coughing up each wracking sob with a concerning fervor. He dug his face into the blanket, unable to look at his world anymore. Addie was silent. Her mother was looking her right in the eye, and Addie was looking back. Even with the spark of life visibly receding from her mother's eyes, it was impossible for her to look away, for there was something unnameable being transferred between them. Almost all of her senses went completely numb in that moment while her soul was aflame.

**A/N: Thank you for reading. I hope you stick with this story. Check out my Tumblr page if you want to get an idea of what to expect in upcoming chapters.**


	2. Chapter 2

** Chapter II: The Stuff On The Sides Of Ships**

The Kirkwall docks bustle with activity in the daytime. Sailors and merchants' men lug an endless stream of wooden barrels and crates onto and off of their ships. The rats skitter around them, skinny urchins race around, and the sun beats down on all of them. The relief of a cool, salty wind whirls through the ships' sails, down the streets, and through Colton's blond hair as he sits atop a building overlooking the ocean. He tried watching from the docks many times, but the sailors are always quick to shoo him off; they wouldn't even let him sit on the pilings where he was out of their way. Tired of their gruff protestations, Colton retreated to find an inland place with a passable view of the water. When he realized all the buildings were in the way, he took to higher heights.

Addie had originally petitioned Colton not to clamber up the sides of buildings to sit on the rooftops, but Colton would not listen to her. Once Colton found something he enjoyed it was impossible to tear him away from it. So, Addie took a deep breath and climbed up after him. She comforted herself with the thought that he had actually learned how to climb from her. It used to be young Colton looking up at his sister, teary-eyed, begging her to lower herself from whatever precarious height she had finagled her way into. Now he was nearly a man and he was the one going where he shouldn't be.

Addie pulled herself up top. Colton chose this rooftop because it was the tallest one accessible. Addie was grateful it was flat, too. She sat beside her brother, who had his legs dangling over the edge and his weight leaned backwards onto his palms. His bronze eyes had a warm smoulder to them presently, and he regarded the oceanic expanse in front of him with with sober serenity. But Addie saw him chewing his lip like he always does when he's getting thoughtful, so she asked him, "What's on your mind?"

"Perhaps we can get work as sailors," Colton said. He turned to look at his sister only when she gave a sudden laugh. "What? Something funny?"

Addie giggled, "We can't be sailors, Colton. We've never even been on a ship." Her brother's brow knit together in that hard, crude way. He shook his head. "So? All sailors had to start somewhere. We can be deckhands, or something. Scrub the floor or scrape that stuff off the side—"

"See, you don't even know what it is."

"Oh, shut it!" Colton leaned forward, crossing his arms tightly and scowling at the landscape before them. "We need money, Addie. Working aboard a vessel's an honest way to get some."

Now Addie shook her head. "It's a good way to work yourself to the bone for naught. Do you want to be like our parents? Work yourself to death all your life so you can have nothing to show for it?" She had unintentionally taken on an accusatory edge to her voice. Colton's jaw tightened and rippled. She pressed on. "Shady and her people have work we can do. We'd be stupid not to take the opportunity."

For the first time in that conversation, they made eye contact. Colton looked to his sister with a gaze that made her recoil. "How could you, Addie?" he exclaimed. "Mother would never want that kind of life for us! She never— she would never resort to it."

Addie sighed, feeling a heavy weight settle on her back. Her lips sagged into a frown, but she forced herself to hold eye contact with her brother; she had to drive home her point somehow. "Colton, Mother wouldn't want us to be poor forever. Do you really want to live like she did? Die like she did?" No, Addie did not want to continue on their current course; over five years of scraping by how they did was too much for her. She was sick of spending days doing a combination of begging and odd jobs that paid next to nothing. She could only see this set-up getting worse with age. She was afraid adulthood would turn her and Colton to prostitution or barmaiding or something equally as horrifying. Colton went back to scowling silently. His eyes, which had regarded the blue ocean with adoration before, held only bitterness now. He understood his sister's point, though he wished he didn't; it would be easier to choose a path that way.

Addie pulled her legs up and got to her feet. Her head eclipsed the sun, and for a moment, Colton was in the shade. Addie bid her brother farewell, insisting on him meeting her at sunset so they could walk to the alienage together to discuss work with Shady. Colton said nothing but he begrudgingly gave a single nod of his head. Addie climbed back down.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed this. The plot starts to get a foothold in the next chapter :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter III: The Terms And Conditions**

The eldest of the surviving Quinneys stood under the reddish smear of sunset. Addie was sitting on the slanted stoop in front of their shack, tying her black hair back in a ponytail. It was her usual habit to secure her long locks of hair away from the front of her face, even when she wasn't working. It was too much of a discomfort and inconvenience for her to allow stands of hair to droop around, yet she couldn't bring herself to chop any of it away. With her hair contained, she sat her elbows on her knees and waited for her brother. He usually arrived a little early to everything, but she figured Colton might purposely prolong his dawdling by the docks just to irk his sister. He could be rather impetuous once he started feeling sensitive about something. It seemed the topic of their mother was still too freshly painful to bring up with Colton; Addie wondered if he would ever be able to talk about it peacefully.

Addie rested her chin in the palm of one hand and watched the passersby with minimal interest. An old man with skinny, crooked legs and a bony face hobbled by in the time that three elvhen children and a drunk man came and went— well, the drunken man fell face-first on the side of the street and simply chose to take a nap there. Addie had never consumed alcohol, and she failed to understand the allure of it; it seemed to just turn everyone into even more of a fool.

Just when her impatience was beginning to brew, she felt a shadow slide over her. Addie looked up expecting to see her brother, but it was someone else. A young elvhen girl stood over her. Her skin was unmarked and, like other city elves, had that characteristic inclined, straight-bridged nose. A short frame of blonde hair reached halfway down her long neck. Presently, she was addressing Addie with cool, unemotional eyes and thin lips. "Are you the Quinney girl?" she asked with an even voice. Her pitch was on the lower end of the spectrum of most girls. From her observation of adults, Addie learned that it wasn't always wise to be so giving with one's name. The cogs turned in her head for a brief moment, and then she realized the elf before her was probably sent by Shady. Addie suddenly felt foolish for expecting to be visited by Shady herself.

She stood up to converse with the elf. Addie towered about five inches above her, though she wasn't especially tall for her age. It was a bit of a shock to think the petite elf before her was in Shady's employ, but then again, the same enigma was willing to give two teenage orphans work as well. "I'm Addie," she introduced herself, preferring not to be known as 'the Quinney girl.' "My brother's going to be here soon. Should we wait for him?"

The elf shifted her weight onto each of her feet in turn and crossed her arms. She squinted against the lowering sun, looking toward both ends of the street. "I suppose," she murmured, settling her eyes back on Addie. "We should go inside, though." Addie put her hands flat on the chipped door of her home and gave it a hard shove. The bottom dragged a few inches across the dirt floor. Addie pushed again, and it groaned open. She stepped to the side, allowing the elf entry, and then repeated the same labor to close the door. It was an omen of the poor condition of the rest of the house. It was never in good condition but had fallen into an even more dire state of disrepair following her mother's death seven years ago. The bottom of the walls blackened with dirt. The makeshift table their father fashioned out of two empty barrels and a plank had been smashed in by a drunk stranger that had chased Addie into the house. The flattened straw mat their mother slept on had to be thrown out after rats had filled the stuffing with their shit. It was, in a way, a boon that the home was completely bare of food and furnishings; there were no more things to be ruined.

Addie watched the elf walk herself deeper into the room. Her arms moved by her sides with a daunting sense of purpose, as if her muscles were braced for action at all times. Her gait was reminiscent of the stray cats that stalked Lowtown; it was a dangerous sort of sashay, more a warning than an invitation. She regarded the grungy room with cool indifference, and it was this entire demeanor that made Addie wonder at the age of the elf. She was small and thin but she gave the impression of a subtle kind of strength. She was limber, too, and maintained a severe countenance so far. Addie had to guess the elf was a young woman or a teenager like herself, possessing a soul quickly aged by the realities of the Kirkwall slums.

"What's your name?" Addie asked. The elf's eyes went from the cobwebbed ceiling to Addie's. She said nothing for a moment, as if debating whether or not to give the human a fake name. The pause was just long enough for Addie to pick up on it. "Elnora," the elf had answered, and then there was more silence. Addie was waiting for Elnora to open up the discussion about potential work for her and her brother, but the elf seemed content to say nothing. The human opened her mouth to speak when she heard the grinding of the door being pushed open. She turned to see Colton slip inside. His blond hair was visibly tousled by the winds coming in from the sea. He had no doubt spent all day on that rooftop.

"Brother, this is Elnora," Addie jumped in, gesturing to the elf in their home. Colton hadn't noticed her at first and was taken aback by the sight of a stranger in their house. His lips pulled into a straight line, a failure of a courteous smile, and he nodded to her. Elnora just crossed her arms and took a step closer to them.

"Shady sent me as a representative," Elnora said. "She's willing to offer you two some work."

Colton leaned his weight into the door to shut it. "So I've heard, but I have to ask: why would Shady accept my sister and I, of all people, for employment? We're hardly seasoned thieves." He said that last word with a bit of disdain; he had never gotten over the time their father's pocket was picked in the Lowtown markets years ago. As a small child, Colton felt personally violated by the theft. It was the first time he learned what belonged to someone wasn't always theirs.

Addie wanted to swat her brother on the side of his thick head for belittling their credentials in front of Elnora. She wasn't sure if he was daft or if this was a trick of his to keep them away from working with Shady. She shot him a smouldering glare which he ignored. Similarly, Elnora ignored his question. Her arm gave a contained gesture toward the room. "How do you two afford this place? You say you're orphans?"

"We've got a family friend that's been paying our rent since our mother died," Addie answered, referring to Rynell. He sold goods in Lowtown during the day and romped around the Hanged Man at night. Whenever they ran into him on the streets he barely spared them a cursory greeting. It appeared almost painful for him to look at their faces. Still, he hadn't missed a month's rent on their home since their mother's passing. Addie and Colton were unsure of what it was Rynell was expecting from them in return, but he insisted they needn't worry about it. It was an everyday mystery to the Quinneys, though they were in no rush to figure it out so long as they had a roof over their heads.

"Does this family friend ever visit you?" Elnora inquired, her voice a little too casual. Addie hesitated. She could feel her brother bristling with suspicion next to her. "No," Addie answered warily, unsure of the elf's intention behind her line of questioning, or what it had to do with the prospect of their employment to Shady. "I think it's time to discuss the work Shady has for us," she prompted.

"Oh, but it's all related," the elf replied cooly. She turned her back to wander a few steps deeper into their home, then spun back toward them. She stood with her legs a fair distance apart and her arms tightened over her chest. It was the only way someone of her stature could appear authoritative, Colton presumed. She pointed her chin toward him. "You asked why Shady would consider hiring you two. Well, after your sister asked Shady for a job, she was quickly leaning towards a denial. You two are green." Addie stirred a little at the criticism; she knew it to be true, but she could never stand being doubted. Her lips unintentionally crooked into a frown. "But we heard you were two orphans living in a house. Shady wanted to know how you could possibly afford the expense, and she wanted to know how much traffic goes through here."

"None," Colton replied. "You're the first visitor we've had in years." Elnora nodded in approval, even cracked a tiny smile of satisfaction, and perched her thin hands on her waist. "Shady has a good deal for you two. You let her people use this place as a safehouse on occasion, and she'll let you in. That means you'll get some of our bread, just for having visitors over now and then."

Addie's frown deepened. Their house was their only asset, really, and this deal sounded like handing over partial ownership of it to sneak thieves. She was looking to work with them, not live with them. "Sounds like 'now and then' would be more often than you're letting on," she noted with a certain sharpness.

"True," Elnora admitted, "I don't know how often Shady would use it. It has to be open to our people at all times, though. She's also willing to test you two out for some work. In fact, that has to come before anything else. She doesn't want to move her people here if you two are just going to leave a trail for the guards to follow." The elf woman raised her chin and cocked her head to the side. "Well? What do you say?"

Colton turned to Addie. Addie didn't look at him at first; she was tempted to accept the offer, seeing it as their only choice. She could feel her brother's stare, though, and gave in. She pulled him to the side a bit and they conversed in hushed tones, which was a bit silly considering their house was too small for anything to go unheard by their elvhen guest. Colton said, "This doesn't seem like a good idea, sister. The guards might track these people to our house and take it from us. Then where would we be?"

"True," Addie allowed, frowning. They would be risking everything they had to get in with Shady's people. "It would mean we'd have food, though, at least more than we have now. We wouldn't have to spend all those hours begging in the streets; Andraste knows we're too old to get any biters now." Her brother just shook his head vigorously and reiterated his idea about working on the docks. "Brother, we've discussed this," she muttered tiredly, rubbing her brow. "They wouldn't hire us for any decent wages; we would just be toiling for bread crumbs. If we prove ourselves to Shady with this job and let her borrow our home, we'd get fairer pay for our work."

"Or wind up in the gallows," Colton hissed between his teeth. "We're not children anymore, Addie. I'm fourteen, you're sixteen. If we get caught doing something illegal, they'll just lock us up."

Elnora was growing impatient. "Are you two going to work with us or not?" she interrupted brusquely. Addie was flustered by her brother and by Elnora's rushing. "Colton," she said, trying to hide her agitation with a diplomatic tone of voice, "how about we just do this job to at least prove ourselves to Shady, and then we'll decide if we want to keep working with them after then? Just one job, brother." Her younger brother's countenance was still sour, but he gave her another begrudged nod. It seemed all their debates ended that way.

Addie wasted no time; she strode to Elnora and nodded her head. "We'll do this job," she finalized confidently. She straightened her posture and consequently had to look farther down to make eye contact with the blond elf. "Tell us what she wants us to do."

Elnora's pink lips curled into a smirk. It was both unsettling and fascinating, so much so that Addie was taken aback by the notion. The elf said, "There's a man by the name of Rikur. He lives here in Lowtown. He drinks himself away every night at the Hanged Man but, according to rumor, always sets aside a little money for a monthly trip to the Blooming Rose. You're familiar with the establishment?" The Quinneys nodded. Colton blushed a little and strained to will his face to go back to its normal color. Addie felt a small nervous swirl in her stomach but maintained a stoic expression. Elnora continued, "That's all the information we have on the guy. Make do with it. Shady wants to test you; steal something from Rikur, something work something, and show it to me in the alienage. If she thinks you guys can handle similar jobs, she'll employ you."

Addie's eyebrow went askew. "Our test is to steal something from a drunkard?" she reiterated. Elnora nodded, appending, "Remember, it has to be something worth some value. The lint out of his pocket doesn't count." Addie looked to her brother Colton. He didn't look entirely affronted, which she was grateful for. "We'll do it."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter IV: Reluctant Planning**

That night, after Elnora left, Addie and Colton seated themselves on the floor. Addie crossed her legs around each other and held her head up in the palm of her hand. She chewed her lip thoughtfully while Colton leaned his back against the grimy wall and stretched out his tired legs in front of him. They were trying to figure out how they would pull this job off. It seemed simple enough, and if the man was drunk as often as the elf said, it shouldn't be too hard to take some things off of him. Still, the Quinneys had never done anything of this sort before, and Addie desperately wanted to do the job right. It would require careful planning and deft execution.

"We can follow him out of the Hanged Man, maybe," Addie suggested, "and when he falls over drunk somewhere, we rifle through his pockets."

"We ought to know what he has on him before we get to that point," Colton pointed out. "We probably will only have a few seconds before he starts to struggle. If he has nothing but crums in his pocket, we're screwed." Addie applauded her brother's wittiness. He cracked a smile despite himself, and Addie playfully pounded his shoulder. He laughed and shoved her off. "Alright, alright, back to planning," he coaxed lightheartedly. Colton's mood cleared up since Elnora left, and Addie was glad to see he was trying to help plan their move with earnest effort. He stroked his jaw thoughtfully. It had begun to widen since he started puberty, much like his shoulders. His stature was still rather unimposing, but he at least looked athletic. Climbing buildings all the time helped out.

"Elnora said he goes to the brothel every month. Much as I don't want to go to the Red Lantern District, there might be something useful in that," Addie said. She really did not want to venture to the brothel; she hated the idea of drunk men grabbing at her or taunting her. Addie had filled into a woman's body despite her malnutrition and it only caused her unwanted anxiety. She never felt safe wandering the streets alone at night. Now that she was older and more adult in appearance, it seemed like all the drunkards under the moon wanted something from her. Her fear sparked under her feet, ushering her home quickly.

"Perhaps," Addie mused, "he'll get drunk one night, then hit up the brothel. By the time he gets out, he'll be worn and wasted. Maybe that will be the best time to get him?" She looked to her brother for his opinion on the matter. Something she didn't like was smoldering in his eyes, some kind of reluctant mischief that struggled to be articulated. He opened his mouth to speak and no sound came out. He closed his lips into a tight frown. "What is it?" Addie asked warily. Colton stuttered a bit. "Well, perhaps... It's a bad idea, but an idea... No, forget about it. It's not worth it," he concluded, waving the thought away. Addie implored him to say it anyway, and she pestered him until he acquiesced. "Alright," he grumbled, leaning forward so he could rest his elbows on his knees. "You could wait for him outside the brothel and... and..." He gave a curt wave of his hand. "Y'know, distract him."

"Colton!" Addie exclaimed, shocked by her brother's suggestion. Truth be told, a similar idea had crossed her mind, but she never expected her brother to say it. Colton gave a quick shrug and opened his arms in forfeit. "You told me to say it!" Addie let her mouth hang open for a while. She went on about how taken aback she was with her brother's plan for a few moments. Colton endured the seconds-long tirade in silence. His sister quickly quieted, though, and a very sober expression took over her face. "Of course, it is a good idea. I am sixteen, after all; some of the girls who work in the Rose are my age, I figure." She never wanted to work in the brothel, but she told herself she was old enough to endure the scheme Colton conjured up. "I think that's the best idea we've got, truth be told."

Colton gave a very sad frown to his sister. For the first time that day, he was truly beginning to understand his sister's argument for working with Shady. He didn't want to find her working in the Rose one day; the very thought made him despondent. He told himself that if they didn't get out of their current situation, Addie might have no choice but to turn to prostitution. She was the last person he would imagine going that route willingly, but he saw desperation send countless folk to places he figured they never meant to go. "Don't worry, sister," he said with a steady voice, "I'll be nearby. I'll make sure he doesn't get away with anything. Bring my knife, even." Colton kept a small knife in his boot. It wasn't a dagger so much as a tool, but he sharpened it excessively. He felt very warmly about the idea of having something to keep him and his sister safe, modest a thing as it was.

Addie nodded. "Alright, then. Tomorrow night, we'll hang around the Hanged Man and try to pick out which patron is Rikur."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter V: Sawn Beards

The Quinney kids had only been in a bar a few times. The only occasions they went into the Hanged Man involved following Rynell around after their mother's death; they spent several days following behind the tired man like lost ducklings. He lost patience and shooed the children away gruffly. Having no other adults to latch onto, they fled the Hanged Man. They were expecting to revisit that very out-of-place feeling again, now that they had to track down Rikur in a bar.

When the sun was more than halfway concealed by the horizon, Addie and Colton set out. They hopped quickly down the slanted steps of their stoop and took brisk strides in the direction of the Hanged Man. One might take their quickness as excitement, and admittedly, Addie and Colton were actually a little bit excited for this endeavor. Old as they were, they couldn't shake the shy feeling that they were setting off on one of the thrilling adventures they imagined when they were children. Of course, Colton had always role played as a knight, galloping around Lowtown on his imaginary horse while Addie, the most famous bow-woman in the Free Marches, shot invisible arrows at her foes. The only thing their current situation had in common with their childhood reveries was their sense of purpose. Their dull reality was much less glamorous and more fear-filled.

Colton advised his sister to just act cool in the bar. "We'll mill around, chat some people up, ask them for their names. Oh, and listen for anyone who addresses someone by Rikur's name; we can find him out that way, too." Addie asked her brother if he had coin with him in case the barman made them buy a drink for being in his establishment. Colton patted the pockets of his roughspun pants. The quietest clink of metal reassured them, though they hoped desperately they wouldn't have to spend what little they had on alcohol; neither of them really wanted it.

Colton was wearing his simple roughspuns. His pants were tan and baggy. They belonged to his father and were thus too long for him to wear without tucking them into his boots. The boots were made of a combination of cloth and leather and were therefore not sturdy footwear at all, but it was better than roaming the streets barefoot. His shirt also had to be tucked under his belt to keep it from billowing. He wore a fitted blue vest over it. Addie wore her regular maroon corset and shirt. The shirt stretched below her hips; it was meant to go over a skirt, but Addie was more comfortable wearing her leggings. She had simple booties of cloth and leather like her brother and a tattered blanket fastened over her shoulders like a cloak.

They came upon the bar when it was finally dark out. As they had gotten closer to the Hanged Man, their wisps of optimism faded. Outside the door, the two of them exchanged nervous looks. Addie made herself give her younger brother a reassuring smile. Her comforts made him feel infantile at times, but mostly he appreciated how his sister cared for him. He reciprocated the gesture; Addie needed to be taken care of sometimes, too.

The two of them stepped into the establishment and were immediately bombarded by the liveliness of it. It was brightly lit, allowing the two Quinneys to witness the sight of three drunk men pounding their feet on the floor in a sloppy, hearty dance. Several others were scattered around the room on chairs and benches, lips perched on their tankards as they watched the dancers with varying levels of amusement. There was a hum of conversation, too, often staccatoed by the loud exasperations of the drunk. Addie put on a brave face and stepped deeper into the room. "Alright, brother, let's split up. Catch my eye if you find him," she whispered before walking off. Colton observed how his sister's posture straightened and her walk became confident. She didn't saunter so much as swagger.

Colton began by making his way to the nearest bench. One bald man with a face like a bruised fruit was sitting there with an empty tankard in his hand. Colton didn't think it would go well if he sat down with the man, so he simply stood behind him. "Uh, hello," he ventured lamely. The man regarded Colton with harsh, scrutinizing eyes and a grimace. "What d'ya want?" he grumbled. Colton was unsure of how to respond. He stammered, "Uh, I'm— I'm Jondrew. What's your name?" and immediately regretted his silliness. The patron gave a loud, bitter guffaw. "Name's Fuck-You, now piss off." He wagged his empty cup in the air and barked, "Norah! Git me more to drink, wouldja?"

Meanwhile, Addie hovered by a long table nervously. One fat, cheery-faced man with rosy cheeks was sitting at it. At the far end was a barmaid who stood up and yelled, "How 'bout you ask nicely one of these days, Gunther?" Addie watched her stalk off to get some man a drink. Addie worked up the nerve to gingerly seat herself at the bench across from the plump patron. He looked up from his tankard in surprise. He was one of those people whose mouth perpetually hung open as if it had loose hinges. "Why, hello darling," he drawled, setting his mug aside and leaning forward. Addie, without knowing it, gripped the edge of the table. "What're you doin' here, m'lady?"

She felt stupid for needing a few seconds to come up with a suitable response. "Just mingling," she decided upon. She cleared her throat. "What's your name, man?" She tried to bend her mouth into a friendly smile but felt it came out badly. He didn't seem to notice.

"Cortus, they call me," he confessed with a brave smile. He was leaning closer. Addie just said, "Oh," and stood up from the bench. She moved onto another table. Cortus was too lagged to notice Addie was gone until she was behind him, and by then he was too confused by her sudden disappearance to do anything about it. The nervous teenager was walking toward another table when she felt herself hitched at the waist. Someone had swung their arm out and latched onto her. Before she knew what was happening, she was plopped down on some man's lap.

"Don't bother with men like Cortus," a baritone voice advised. The man had a notable braided red beard. He spoke with very slurred words. "Spend your time with me instead." He flashed an astoundingly gapped smile up at Addie, who had rarely felt so uncomfortable in her life. All the upper teeth on the right side of his mouth were missing, perhaps knocked out by a powerful bludgeoner. Addie's first instinct was to push herself off of him and beat out of the bar, but her determination to prove her usefulness to Shady and to herself won over.

"And what's your name?" she said in a low voice, trying to make herself purr. It felt painfully unnatural and was, unfortunately, poorly executed. The man seemed to like it, though, for she felt his hands wrap a little more tightly around her waist. "The women call me Rikur the Mighty," he boasted, puffing out his plaid chest. Boldly, he let his hands sink to Addie's ass. She flinched at the contact. Rikur tightened his grip, pulling Addie closer into his chest. His eyes slid down from her face and settled on the top of her corset. Addie mentally cursed her makeshift cloak for doing a poor job of covering her.

She truly hated being in this bar, but she forced herself to at least be thankful she knew who their target was. *Goddamn Elnora,* she thought bitterly, *how could she leave a detail like this out?* Indeed, Rikur was an obvious appearance; never in her life had Addie seen a man with such fiery locks of hair. The elf was probably withholding that one identifying detail to make Addie and Colton's job a little more difficult. *Fine, have it that way. We can take a challenge.*

"Well, Rikur, it's good to meet you," Addie lied, rolling her eyes out of his sight. She smirked down at him. He gave a low, crazy sort of giggle, then touched his mouth to Addie's neck. Alarmed, she felt her skin go hot as her instincts told her to flee. However, she prohibited herself from moving and was quite surprised with her willpower. She had never had anyone do this to her before, and it was extremely unpleasant, especially when she felt his wet, oily tongue trail a path down to the collar of her shirt. His rough hands peeled the collar back so he could bury his face in he crease of her breasts. Addie wanted to punch him on the side of his skull so badly. To be violated in this way infuriated her and made her stomach flop in disgust. *Reel him in, Addie,* she told herself reluctantly, trying to calm down enough to unclench her fists.

While Rikur was occupied, Addie looked over his head toward the rest of the bar. Her eyes groped the room for Colton. She saw him at the bar. The bartender was frowning at him and delivering a tirade. She watched as Colton's shoulders slumped and he gave in, fishing a coin out of his pocket to buy a cup of ale. The bartender quickly pocketed the money and slid a drink over to the boy. He took a sip, a bit curious to taste what the people around him consumed pint after pint of every night. It tasted awful; Addie watched as her brother's face screwed up. He forced himself to swallow the ale down, then set the tankard on the counter. To Addie's relief, they made eye contact then. Colton took on a horrified expression when he saw what the red-haired man was doing. Addie tried to pour as much meaning as possible into the eye contact they made, but Colton was too appalled and angry to move. Sighing, the young girl pushed Rikur's head back and made him look her in the eye.

"Want more of me, do you?" she cooed as seductively as she could and feeling stupid afterward. "Well, not tonight. You'll have to get your fill at the Blooming Rose... Maybe I'll see you around Hightown sometime." And with that, she got to her feet as quickly as she could and strode to the exit, not bothering to bid any farewell to the red-haired oaf. Colton followed her out quickly, sparing one last look at the confused, delighted face of the bearded man. Once outside, Colton engaged his sister. "Was that him? That red-haired pig?"

Addie laughed, and shit, it felt good to laugh. Humor in the face of what was an uncomfortable, violative situation made her feel stronger. "Yes, that was 'Rikur the Mighty.' Supposedly that's what the ladies call him." Colton snorted. "I really doubt that," he spat, throwing a look over his shoulder to make sure none of the patrons followed them out. His jaw jutted out to the side stiffly, and he crossed his arms crossly. It wasn't often Addie saw her brother become protective of her; until recently, he was regarded as the baby of the family. Now that he was growing, Colton told himself he had to have at least as much responsibility as Addie. After all, he was becoming a man.

"I told him I'd see him around Hightown. Hopefully, he will head to the Rose soon, and we can get this job over with."

"Did you notice any valuables on him?" Colton asked.

Addie sighed and nodded. While her ass was being squeezed, she let her hands roam to the sides of his pants, where the pockets were. She felt what was probably a decent amount of coin in a purse, though it was hard to tell. More interesting were the beads in his braided beard. Some of them shone like gold. She relayed this to her brother, who gave a disbelieving laugh. "So, what, we cut the man's beard off?" He looked to his sister in astonishment, but Addie only shrugged and cocked her head to the side with a wry smile. Colton chuckled at the prospect and said, "Well, alright, then. We'll stalk Hightown at nights from now on, is that the plan? How do we even know he'll head to the Rose anytime soon? He might've already gone this month."

Addie shook her head. She didn't want to say that she had purposely mentioned the brothel to plant the seed in his mind and that her plan was that his arousal tonight would lead him to the Rose sooner rather than later; it seemed indecent to admit such things to anyone, even if her own mind had conjured it up. She just told her brother that she had a feeling he would be around the Red Lantern District soon. And she was right.

The following night, the two loitered by the brothel. Several yards away from the Rose was a dark corner with some abandoned crates tucked away, and this is where the two of them sat waiting. Technically, the Quinneys weren't doing anything illegal, but they didn't want the guards to be suspicious of them, so they hid in the shadows while they waited for Rikur to appear. Addie still had doubts that their target would show, but after enough waiting, they saw a shock of red hair staggering toward the brothel. Rikur appeared very drunk already, which was a positive omen for the two Quinneys. They watched him go inside.

Hours went by. Neither of them had considered how much time he would actually spend inside, and they were beginning to regret this line of work entirely. Both were in particularly dreary moods for stooping to this level to make some coin. Colton kept hearing his mother in his head, ashamed, scolding. Addie, on the other hand, didn't think working for Shady would involve so much unwanted groping. She had been stewing in a foul mood since last night, and waiting outside a brothel to be felt up by the man again was making her feel sick. And angry. She was thinking about how much she'd like to hit the man after they robbed him when a flash of red shocked her out of her reverie. Her eyes focused in on Rikur as he stumbled out of the Blooming Rose. Even from far away, she could see he was in high spirits. He held a bottle of alcohol high above his head like a trophy and was singing some awful tune. "He's here, Colton," Addie warned. "Hide behind the crates!" Her brother obeyed. He jumped over them and ducked so only his eyes peeked over the cover. Addie walked forward a bit. She looked all around her to make sure no guards were around, then called out to the man. "Rikur the Mighty," she called out, laughing despite herself. It took him several seconds, but the drunk man eventually zoned in on the sight of a lady some distance away from him. He jauntily made his way over, spilling some of the contents of his bottle in the process. He came close, and Addie forced herself to smirk at him. "Remember me? I certainly remember you."

Rikur looked a little lost, but he had that sloppy grin on. He brought the bottle to his lips and drained it. Discarding it on the ground, he shimmied into the young woman's personal space. His eyes groped her face and chest. "Ah, yes, I remember these," he giggled, grabbing her breasts. He applied a painful amount of pressure, and Addie couldn't help but yelp a bit. Then she felt him pushing her back until she bumped into something, a wall or a pillar, and his mouth attacked her face. This she could not stand; she pushed at him and turned her face away, but he grabbed her jaw tightly and held it in place. He crushed his lips on hers. She felt him bend into her. Panic set in, striking her heart like lightning. She felt her pulse burn and quicken. She mustered up all her strength, grabbed Rikur's shoulders, and gave him a violent shove. He staggered back several feet and nearly fell because of his drunkenness. "Why, you feisty little—"

He didn't finish the phrase; suddenly, he was splayed out on the ground. His entire body crashed into the cold stone street. It took Addie a few seconds to realize what she had done. Her fist pulsated painfully from the impact, though it felt good somehow. She heard footsteps and shot a frantic look to the side of the street. Someone was running toward her. She opened her mouth to yell to her brother, but then she realized it was him. Colton surveyed the sight of the writhing man on the ground. "I was about to do the same thing myself, sister," he said with approval. He gave her a tight, serious smile, then delivered the most powerful kick he could to Rikur's stomach, throwing his arms up in the air and swinging his leg out savagely. The man burst with a sharp, painful wheeze, and Addie knelt down in front of him. "You're a fucking pig, you know that?" she growled before straightening up and kicking him in the side of the head. His skull bounced to the other side, and then he was unconscious.

"Let's make quick work of this," Addie breathed. She felt his pockets while Colton removed the knife from his boot and began to saw off the man's beard. It was a surprisingly disgusting task. Rikur's pockets only had about two silvers in them; Addie disappointedly realized that he would have had much more than that before going into the Rose. Meanwhile, Colton grimaced as he stuffed the tuft of beard in his pocket. "This feels so wrong," he whimpered squeamishly.

Addie pulled her cloak tighter about her and said, "Well, I guess we both feel a little disgusting after this job. But come on, we have to get out of here." They didn't know when the next guard would walk toward the brothel, but Colton convinced his sister to risk thirty more seconds to help him drag Rikur's body farther into the shadows. They dumped him behind the crates callously and fled to Lowtown.

In the better part of an hour, they were hurrying up to their door. They pushed through the stubborn thing, in a hurry to escape the night. Colton groped around the darkness for their two candles and lit them. Then, they fell tiredly into their barrel-seats. They were coming down from an adrenaline rush and the run back home. Heaving a big sigh, Colton said, "Nice work, Addie. Sorry about it, though." Addie waved it off and reached in her pocket. She pulled out the two silvers and showed them to her brother. "Hopefully those beads are worth more than this." Colton fished the wad of red hair out of his pocket, cringed at the sight of it, and carried it over daintily to the chamber pot, where he pulled it apart until everything but the beads were disposed of. He held them up to the candlelight. "These are rather shiny," he observed with hope. Colton didn't know why a man like Rikur would have gold beads for his beard. Elnora probably saw them and thought they were valuable, and that was most likely why she specifically chose Rikur to be their target. "Let's put our findings in the chest and bring it to Elnora tomorrow."

Addie held out her hands for Colton to take the money. She grabbed his hand when he reached for them. In the dimness of their shabby home, Colton could see the warm, sincere smile she was giving him. But he could also see the keen glint of her eyes in the candlelight, and he knew she was still trying to win him over. He hadn't forgotten about how much he disliked working with thieves to get by, and he wasn't ready to approve of what his sister was trying to get them further into. But it was done now, and he was tired, and he didn't want to spoil the biggest victory they had in a long time. He simply bade her goodnight and fell onto his bedroll.

It was hard to tell when daytime rolled by in the Quinney shack. There were no windows, only the cracks in the subpar construction to let the light in. A bar of the morning sun stretched under the door and tickled Colton's bare feet. He and his sister had fallen into the habit of naturally arousing just after dawn. They drowsily forced themselves onto their feet and got dressed. Colton put on the same roughspuns he wore last night and went with a bucket to fetch some water while Addie prepared herself for the day. She wore the same outfit as before, minus the corset. She had only her tan long-sleeve shirt, her black pants, and flimsy boots. She had outgrown them long ago. She threaded her fingers through her hair dozens of times to relieve it of its knots, then arranged it all into a neat brown braid. By that time, her brother reemerged. They splashed the cold water on their faces and scrubbed some of the filth away.

Afterwards came the matter of breakfast, but they had too little money to afford any. Their faces sagged and their hope for profits from the Rikur job became more desperate. Holding the meager amount of coppers they had left in the palm of his hand, Colton muttered, "Well, let's go find Elnora." They retrieved the two silvers and golden beads from the chest and set out.

Early mornings were perhaps the fairest time for Lowtown. Most people were still in their hovels at this time, so the streets were serenly empty of people. Many beggars were asleep in alleyways or hadn't come out to scrounge money together yet. The buildings were just high enough to block out the bottom half of the rising sun, causing the white light to trickle and stretch over the rooftops in a queer, shimmery way. Most of the street was still in shadow. Colton let himself enjoy the sight as he walked with his sister to the elvhen alienage. He always told himself that the world, at least the natural parts of it, was beautiful, and he felt that people forgot that too often. Thus, he had a sleepy look of content plastered on his face as they walked.

Addie was trying to estimate what Shady would pay them for their work. She truly had no idea; the worth of the lustrous beads was a mystery to her, and she wondered if they were actually made of gold. She didn't anticipate they would get paid that much for the job. After all, they weren't officially in with Shady's people yet, and she was sure what she and Colton did the night before was simply grunt work. Still, their payout had to be enough to feed them for a few days, maybe even get Colton a new pair of shoes; his feet were practically bursting through.

"Colton, we have to decide what we're going to do after we get paid," Addie said. She was reluctant to break the silence, especially to revisit this topic of conversation. "I'm hoping the money will be enough to last us a few days, but we need something long-term." She expected her brother to put on that ugly scowl of his again, but he only nodded calmly. He tilted his head up to the cool sky. His brown eyes seemed to look beyond it.

Nodding, he sighed, "You're right, Addie. Andraste's sake, you're always right, aren't you?" He let his shoulders drop tiredly and massaged his forehead. "I've been thinking about this all night. Much as I don't want to disappoint mother, she'll have to understand." Colton wasn't awfully religious, but he certainly regarded the Chantry's spiritual teachings more highly than Addie, who outright ignored them. Colton always thought their mother was watching over them, scrutinizing every little thing they did. "This seems our best opportunity, for now."

Addie thought she would be happier when she won her brother over. "Thank you for understanding, Colton," she said simply, trying to hide the apology buried in her words. At this point, they stood at the edge of the alienage. They didn't know where Elnora lived, but they figured she would be around eventually. They idled in the street, nothing to say, standing in silence. More people were waking up now, dragging themselves out of their collapsing homes to confront another day. One by one, the elves stepped outside and eyed the Quinneys suspiciously. Humans rarely ventured into the alienage; there was little reason for them to. They were always expecting shemlin visitors to do some great injustice to them. For this reason, the elvhen parents held onto their children and guided them in wide arcs around Addie and Colton. Even humans their age were not to be trusted.

The only elf that came near was Elnora. She was wearing a leather jerkin fastened tightly over a green shirt. She had long, black leather boots that reached up to her knees. Addie saw a dagger sheath poking out the top of one. It seemed the elf was doing well in Shady's employ; Addie hoped her and Colton would find the same prosperity someday soon. Elnora didn't offer any greeting or pleasantry when she came upon the two humans; not only did she not seem the type to waste words, her elvhen neighbors would be suspicious of her if she was too friendly with outsiders. "What've you got?" she asked simply. Colton removed what they stole from his pocket and held it out just far enough for Elnora to look at. She was unimpressed by the two silvers; her lips pursed disappointedly at the sight of them. Addie was overcome with relief when her eyes sparked at the sight of the gold beads in Colton's other hand. "My, my, how did you get those?" she asked, amused.

Colton grimaced. "Don't want to talk about it," he muttered. Elnora chuckled goodnaturedly. It was shocking, really; she seemed too severe to be capable of an outward display of mirth. Her laugh was surprisingly hearty for such a tiny person. But the jubilance, limited as it was, was short-lived; a businesslike expression fell over Elnora's face again. She held her arm out with her hand opened for Colton to deposit the beads in. "You two keep the silvers. I'll bring you payment for the beads tonight." Colton looked to his sister, unsure if they should trust the elf. Addie frowned at the inequity of the exchange, but she was willing to risk being ripped off for a chance at getting some more work. She gave her brother the slightest nod of her head, and he handed the beads over. Elnora pocketed them quickly, then regarded the Quinneys with crossed arms; it seemed her natural stance. "And about our offer?"

Colton gave his sister the finalizing reassurance of a nod. They had more nods for each other than words these days. Addie looked the elf straight in her amber eyes and promised, "We'll join. Shady's people are welcome to use our home inconspicuously." Saying it officially made the risk of the deal seem more alive than ever. Addie swallowed her fears down, trying to appear strong in the eyes of the elf. Clearly, Elnora was at least somewhat important in the lady Shady's inner circle.

"Happy to hear it," the elf replied, her voice devoid of emotion. "Like I said, I'll be by tonight with your cut of the money, assuming we can sell these beads off today. Regardless, expect a visit; we need to talk about expectations, and you need to meet Shady." Elnora considered offering her hand in respect of human tradition in Kirkwall, but decided against it when she remembered all the elves watching her. She advised them to exit the alienage quietly and keep a low profile for the rest of the day. Colton and Addie started to walk away. Elnora watched them go for a few seconds.

"Hey," she called. Addie stopped and turned around. She was surprised to find Elnora putting on a small smile for her. "Good job with this," she remarked casually. Addie watched the elf turn and walk away then, not waiting for any reply.


End file.
